Bond Money Figures Big in South Bay Schools’ Elections
San Diego Reader
By Susan Luzzaro
Oct. 30, 2010
Southwestern College, the Sweetwater Union High School District, and the Chula Vista Elementary School District, all located in the South Bay, have several school-board seats up for grabs in a few days. The level of campaign contributions received by candidates at Southwestern and Sweetwater is considerably higher than the contributions in the elementary school district. Could it be because of bond money?
Southwestern College is currently spending $389 million of Proposition R funds approved in 2008 and $120 million that remains from Proposition AA, approved in 2006.
One of the most contested races in the Southwestern College district is between Yolanda Salcido, the president of the board, and Norma Hernandez, former president of the college. In Salcido’s most recent campaign-donation filing (covering the period of October 1–16), Seville Construction Services, the company managing Southwestern’s bond money, donated $7500. The majority of the $57,250 picked up in this period is from contractors or is contractor-related. Salcido has received a total of $102,598.
Salcido’s opponent, Hernandez, received no donations from contractors in the last filing period. Her two largest donors during the first half of October were Pacific Spanish Network, which gave $5000, and San Diego PAC, which gave $2000. She has received a total of $40,001.51.
Voters approved Proposition O in 2006, which gave Sweetwater Union High School District $644 million to use for construction and reconstruction. Incumbent Sweetwater boardmember Jim Cartmill and Karen Janney, a retired educator, are waging a fierce battle.
The Seville Group Inc., which is managing the Prop O construction, gave Cartmill $20,000 on October 2. Most of the $34,884 collected in this period came from contractors. Cartmill’s total to date is $85,970.
Cartmill’s opponent, Janney, has altogether $40,638. No contractor donations are listed in her latest filing. The majority of her donations were for $100. Her highest donation was $5,625.46, from the Sweetwater Education Association PAC...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Castle Park Elementary is second highest in district with 32 student suspensions per year
The teachers at Castle Park Elementary who called themselves the "Castle Park Family" created an atmosphere of hostility toward students and other teachers. The school has been suffering ever since that group of teachers came to power in the 1990s, even though most of those teachers have left the school, because the community lost faith in the school. Only five members of the "Castle Park Family" are still on the staff, but the "Family" still has power since one of its foremost members, Peg Myers, is now president of Chula Vista Educators.
"Upon review of other Safe School Plans — including Castle Park Elementary with the second highest district suspensions at 32 — previous plans often gave little or no detail regarding school crime.
Castle Park’s solely stated 'The district office publishes regular reports on school crimes and safety data.'"
District revamps safe school plans
By Ashly McGlone
San Diego Union-Tribune
October 22, 2010
CHULA VISTA — The state’s largest elementary school district is revamping the way it compiles its Safe School Plans.
Staff at Chula Vista Elementary School District announced a “call to action” at Tuesday night’s board meeting, laying out new efforts to ensure plans are compiled at school sites properly.
The annual plans — outlined in the California Education Code — require assessments of school safety based on the review of crime data, something that was not happening at some campuses.
Kellogg Elementary school site council member William Perno raised concerns over the plans at the district’s September board meeting, prompting the district to look into the matter.
Among other concerns, Perno cited incongruity with the plan and district-reported data on the California Department of Education website.
For the last two years, the plans at his school included the following statement on crime: “Crime at Kellogg Elementary School is minor and infrequent. Police reports of assault vandalism, theft or other crimes are rare. Graffiti is a minor problem.”
On the state website, 16 suspensions are noted at Kellogg Elementary in the 2008-09 school year, 12 of which are violence and drug related.
Upon review of other Safe School Plans — including Castle Park Elementary with the second highest district suspensions at 32 — previous plans often gave little or no detail regarding school crime.
Castle Park’s solely stated “The district office publishes regular reports on school crimes and safety data.”
Still, board member and Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano said on Tuesday that the city, and in turn its schools, are among the safest in the county.
“The City of Chula Vista, and obviously that includes the 44 schools we have in the district, remains one of the safest cities in the county... There’s only two cities — the cities of Coronado and Carlsbad — that have lower violent crime rates than we do; keep in mind we are the second largest city. And then overall, again, we are one of the safest cities in the county.” Bejarano said. He also cited the district’s partnership with the police department providing school resource officers as a district asset, as did other board members.
Nancy Kerwin, executive director of student, family and community services, district Spokesman Anthony Millican and Sgt. Carlos Valdivia presented the report, in which Valdivia gave the district an “A” rating, but improvements were nonetheless identified.
“In reviewing our Safe School Plans, we identified a number of weaknesses,” Kerwin said, citing inconsistency among the school plans, minimal review of crime data and staff unfamiliarity with Education Code requirements.
“Hence, we contacted Stephanie Papas with the California Department of Education’s safe school office and frankly declared that we believe our past plans are insufficient to meet our extremely high standards as a system,” she said. District, state and police crime data will be now be provided to schools.
District Spokesman Anthony Millican said the district will be using a nearly $300,000 federal grant recently awarded to fund the creation of a standardized Safe School Plan template, as well as staff training...
"Upon review of other Safe School Plans — including Castle Park Elementary with the second highest district suspensions at 32 — previous plans often gave little or no detail regarding school crime.
Castle Park’s solely stated 'The district office publishes regular reports on school crimes and safety data.'"
District revamps safe school plans
By Ashly McGlone
San Diego Union-Tribune
October 22, 2010
CHULA VISTA — The state’s largest elementary school district is revamping the way it compiles its Safe School Plans.
Staff at Chula Vista Elementary School District announced a “call to action” at Tuesday night’s board meeting, laying out new efforts to ensure plans are compiled at school sites properly.
The annual plans — outlined in the California Education Code — require assessments of school safety based on the review of crime data, something that was not happening at some campuses.
Kellogg Elementary school site council member William Perno raised concerns over the plans at the district’s September board meeting, prompting the district to look into the matter.
Among other concerns, Perno cited incongruity with the plan and district-reported data on the California Department of Education website.
For the last two years, the plans at his school included the following statement on crime: “Crime at Kellogg Elementary School is minor and infrequent. Police reports of assault vandalism, theft or other crimes are rare. Graffiti is a minor problem.”
On the state website, 16 suspensions are noted at Kellogg Elementary in the 2008-09 school year, 12 of which are violence and drug related.
Upon review of other Safe School Plans — including Castle Park Elementary with the second highest district suspensions at 32 — previous plans often gave little or no detail regarding school crime.
Castle Park’s solely stated “The district office publishes regular reports on school crimes and safety data.”
Still, board member and Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano said on Tuesday that the city, and in turn its schools, are among the safest in the county.
“The City of Chula Vista, and obviously that includes the 44 schools we have in the district, remains one of the safest cities in the county... There’s only two cities — the cities of Coronado and Carlsbad — that have lower violent crime rates than we do; keep in mind we are the second largest city. And then overall, again, we are one of the safest cities in the county.” Bejarano said. He also cited the district’s partnership with the police department providing school resource officers as a district asset, as did other board members.
Nancy Kerwin, executive director of student, family and community services, district Spokesman Anthony Millican and Sgt. Carlos Valdivia presented the report, in which Valdivia gave the district an “A” rating, but improvements were nonetheless identified.
“In reviewing our Safe School Plans, we identified a number of weaknesses,” Kerwin said, citing inconsistency among the school plans, minimal review of crime data and staff unfamiliarity with Education Code requirements.
“Hence, we contacted Stephanie Papas with the California Department of Education’s safe school office and frankly declared that we believe our past plans are insufficient to meet our extremely high standards as a system,” she said. District, state and police crime data will be now be provided to schools.
District Spokesman Anthony Millican said the district will be using a nearly $300,000 federal grant recently awarded to fund the creation of a standardized Safe School Plan template, as well as staff training...
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Why do architects in Carlsbad give money to CVESD incumbents?
My guess is that Carlsbad architects give money to CVESD incumbents either to reward them for giving work to the architects, or to encourage them to give work to the architects.
"The largest contribution to date — $1,500 to the incumbents — came from David Ruhnau of Carlsbad-based Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Architect. The firm was the lead architect on construction at Wolf Canyon Elementary, as well as other schools throughout the South County."
The money from local labor unions is different. Local workers have kids in local schools, and unions in general tend to support money for education, so the union local clearly has an understandable interest in supporting the best candidate for the school board. On the other hand, the unions obviously hope that their candidate will support hiring union workers for school jobs.
Money coming in for Chula Vista school board race
By Ashly McGlone
San Diego Union-Tribune
October 18, 2010
CHULA VISTA — Challenger Nick Segura, with nearly $5,000 in contributions, has raised more money than any single candidate seeking a seat on the Chula Vista school board, according to the latest financial disclosure forms.
Incumbents Larry Cunningham, Douglas Luffborough and Pamela Smith — who are running as a team — have collected a total of $7,000.
There are 11 candidates on the ballot.
Segura is the assistant business manager for the local division of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and most of his contributions came from the electrical industry. His employer donated $900 and the San Diego Electrical Contractors Association donated $500.
The largest contribution to date — $1,500 to the incumbents — came from David Ruhnau of Carlsbad-based Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Architect. The firm was the lead architect on construction at Wolf Canyon Elementary, as well as other schools throughout the South County....
Retired educator Francisco Sevilla has raised more than $1,500, much of it from retired teachers...
"The largest contribution to date — $1,500 to the incumbents — came from David Ruhnau of Carlsbad-based Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Architect. The firm was the lead architect on construction at Wolf Canyon Elementary, as well as other schools throughout the South County."
The money from local labor unions is different. Local workers have kids in local schools, and unions in general tend to support money for education, so the union local clearly has an understandable interest in supporting the best candidate for the school board. On the other hand, the unions obviously hope that their candidate will support hiring union workers for school jobs.
Money coming in for Chula Vista school board race
By Ashly McGlone
San Diego Union-Tribune
October 18, 2010
CHULA VISTA — Challenger Nick Segura, with nearly $5,000 in contributions, has raised more money than any single candidate seeking a seat on the Chula Vista school board, according to the latest financial disclosure forms.
Incumbents Larry Cunningham, Douglas Luffborough and Pamela Smith — who are running as a team — have collected a total of $7,000.
There are 11 candidates on the ballot.
Segura is the assistant business manager for the local division of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and most of his contributions came from the electrical industry. His employer donated $900 and the San Diego Electrical Contractors Association donated $500.
The largest contribution to date — $1,500 to the incumbents — came from David Ruhnau of Carlsbad-based Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Architect. The firm was the lead architect on construction at Wolf Canyon Elementary, as well as other schools throughout the South County....
Retired educator Francisco Sevilla has raised more than $1,500, much of it from retired teachers...
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